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RECITAL REVIEW
Two Brothers
March 31, 2001
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By Peter Danner
Technique, timing, and teamwork — all three were on ample display Saturday night when the voices of Sergio and Odair Assad's two guitars were joined at Herbst Theatre. But while the technique was dazzling, particularly in some of Odair's more spectacular runs, it was never flaunted for its own sake. Timing was at least equally important, the more languid passages featuring graceful phrasing and seamless rubatos, as in the fine performance of the slow Scarlatti sonata that opened the program. As for the teamwork of these two brothers, who have played together from an early age: their ability to blend and play off one another is uncanny.
Brazilian by birth but presently based in Europe, the Assads presented a program in two halves, one for each side of the Atlantic. Much of the music, naturally, was in transcription: Scarlatti, Debussy — even Moreno-Torroba's lightweight but entertaining little suite had originally been intended for four guitars rather than two.
Debussy's Suite Bergamasque was undoubtedly the highlight of the evening, with the Assads' rendition of the familiar "Claire de lune" bringing a spontaneous interruption of applause from the audience. This was a gem of textural nuance, with the brothers coaxing unexpected sounds from their guitars through the judicious use of harmonics and transparently matched arpeggios. Just as effective, however, was the "Rigaudon," which tested the limits of the guitar's range and tonal palette.
Reversing the order of the second half, devoted to Latin American music, was a wise decision. Three delightful pieces by fellow Brazilian Egberto Gismonti made for a refreshing opening. Even the interruption of some audience-member's cell phone could not dispel the mood. A fala de paixao (words of passion) was notable for its shifts of mood and brisk interplay. Leo Brouwer's Tres Danzas Concertantes, which followed, though also folk inspired, is altogether more serious fare. This is a work the Cuban-born Brouwer has reworked more than once, and the duo-guitar version makes it sound more abstract than it actually is. This was clearly the meat and potatoes of the program, and appropriate to the "lighter" music that surrounded it. The concluding section of the concert featured pieces by Argentina's Astor Piazzolla, whose tango-inspired music has become increasingly popular with guitarists today (as Sergio noted). This set opened with the evening's only perceivable flaw — nothing serious, just a slight hesitation in the underlying pulse.
Two final observations. Unlike many guitar duos, the Assads perform without scores. This exudes a sense of confidence and mastery of the material. Second, their instruments employed discreet amplification. Some purists might object to such a practice, but it was employed here without tonal or spatial distortion. The sound engineer deserves full marks. Guitarists are fond of quoting Chopin's line "Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar, except perhaps two." And while Chopin probably never actually said it, the sentiment is justifiable, considering the two guitars at this recital were in the capable hands of the Assad Brothers. (Peter Danner is editor of Soundboard, a quarterly magazine for classical guitarists, and past president of the Lute Society of America. He holds a Ph.D. in music history from Stanford University.) ©2001 Peter Danner, all rights reserved |